Sushila Karki was appointed Nepal's new interim prime minister on Friday — the first woman to hold the position. It came after violent demonstrations left at least 72 people dead and thousands injured, and forced Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli to step down from his post.

The revolt — by members of Gen Z, a term referring to people born roughly between 1997 and 2012 — was triggered by a short-lived government-imposed social media ban and anger about widespread corruption and economic hardship in the Himalayan nation.

The 73-year-old former chief justice was given the interim PM position after days of talks between Nepali President Ram Chandra Paudel, youth protest leaders and civil-society figures.

"We wanted to see Karki as prime minister given her integrity, lifelong pursuit of justice, and anti-corruption image," Raksha Bam, a key interlocutor of Gen Z groups, told DW.

Karki described Nepal's anti-corruption demonstrations led by groups from Gen Z as a "revolution that turned everything upside down" after many state offices and documents were destroyed.

Who is Sushila Karki?

Born in 1952, Karki was active in student politics with the liberal Nepali Congress Party before leaving politics to pursue a legal career.

In 2012, Karki was one of two presiding Supreme Court judges who jailed a serving government minister for corruption. She also granted Nepali women the right to pass citizenship to their children.

She became Nepal's first woman chief justice, leading the judiciary from July 2016 to June 2017. During her tenure, she defended judicial independence, women's rights, and the fight against corruption.

In 2017, the government tried to impeach her as chief justice after she overturned its choice for chief of police, which she said violated merit-based selection. The United Nations called the impeachment "politically motivated," and the court blocked the move. 

What does it mean for Nepal to have a female PM?

Many believe the appointment of Sushila Karki as interim PM reflects society's growing trust in women leadership.

"Her choice as prime minister in such a crisis shows our society is dynamic and not anti-women," Professor Abhi Subedi, a Nepali poet and playwright, told DW.

"Her ability to stand firmly for justice is her strength. That courage, character, and vision inspired Gen Z youth to see her as their leader."

However, patriarchal structures in Nepal had already been eroding. Since the adoption of a new constitution in 2015, women have occupied top state posts including the president, the chief justice, and the speaker of parliament.

Nepali writer Bhushita Vasistha argued that Karki's role as interim prime minister should not be viewed through a lens of gender or identity.

"It's a revolution of commonsense," she told DW. "Unlike class-based revolutions, here, all people — irrespective of their identities and ideologies — raised their voices for governance and stood against corruption."

What challenges lie ahead?

Right after Karki's appointment, the parliament was dissolved and fresh elections announced for March 5, 2026.

She has asked officials to start rebuilding public structures destroyed in the protests — including the complex housing the prime minister's office and other ministries, along with the Supreme Court and the parliament building.

Though normalcy is being restored, her greatest challenges are to conduct elections on time and hand power to the next elected leadership.

The international community — including India, China, the United States, Japan and the United Nations — swiftly welcomed her leadership.

"Now she has to win the confidence of those political parties who once tried to corner her," Dev Raj Dahal, a political scientist, told DW.

"This is also an opportunity to reform political parties, making them inclusive, resilient, people-oriented, [engaged in] intergenerational dialogue, and free from inept leadership."

The interim government seems to be drawing support from the security forces, populist political groups, the intelligentsia, and the youth — a broad backing that Dahal observed ultimately compels the established parties to fall into line.

Beyond politics, Karki must also work to root out corrupt politicians and bureaucrats implicated in scandals.

"One of the biggest obstacles is that the prime minister has to work with the very bureaucracy that is at the root of corruption," said Mukunda Acharya, a former Nepal Police assistant inspector general.

Balananda Sharma, a retired lieutenant general who oversaw the integration of Maoist rebels into the national army, stressed the need for military cooperation.

"The new leadership must gain the Nepali Army's confidence to maintain fragile law and order, while also resisting undue pressures against democratic causes," he told DW.

In addition, Karki must also remain vigilant against attempts by pro-royalist forces or foreign powers to exploit political fragility for their own agendas, including restoring kingship, military rule, or external dominance.

However, Bam said that Gen Z would continuously stand to achieve its mandates. "We are not here merely to raise the movement, but to achieve the goal we have set," Bam told DW.

Overall, Nepal now stands at a defining moment. Karki, once a judge battling corruption and political interference, is tasked with guiding the country toward stability and democratic renewal.

Whether Sushila Karki can deliver on the hopes of a restless generation will shape not just her legacy but also the trajectory of Nepal's fragile democracy.

Edited by: Keith Walker